I’ve been a member of a book club (The B’s) for many years now. While admittedly our members spend more time playing catch up and drinking wine than reviewing our latest title, I still absolutely love the time we spend together. I love to read, but I’m certain I would never have ventured to try many of the books had they not been recommended by one of the girls.
We meet every other month—life is just too busy right now for monthly—and rotate hosting dinner for the group. Recently it was my turn to host and I already had a vision of what I wanted to do.
I grab inspiration in the funniest places and believe it or not, these three small vases I’d found on sale at Michael’s were it. I loved the color and retro look of them and built my table around them. As I was hosting my fabulous B’s, I made Book Club my theme and away I went.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
On Etsy I found these amazing editable custom library card bookmarks. I personalized them with each members’ name as well as a poem about the love of books I thought that person would enjoy. They were perfect to use both as a place card as well as a favor for them to take to remember the evening.
I also found these adorable Book Balls on Pinterest made out of old book pages by Muslim & Merlot. I thought it would be the perfect touch to set the mood for the evening. To make your own, click here! I made mine using 1.8” and 2.8” styrofoam balls (I liked having the two sizes for visual interest) and a 2.5” scallop circle punch for the “book page pedals” all found on Amazon.
I headed to my local thrift store to purchase an old used book for about $2. Overall this is a very inexpensive craft project. But what you lack in material costs, you make up for in sweat equity. It is labor intensive, but I think the finished product is well worth it. It’s a perfect craft for binge watching something on Netflix. (I powered through Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story while completing this project—it was quite good, btw.)
My last little find to subtly bring in the Book Club vibe were these darling embossed napkins I found on Etsy by Joyce’s Stitchery. I purchased them in coral as they went perfectly with my vases (coral, teal and yellow).
Time to pull it all together…
For Linens – I used a white Turkish bedspread my mom had given me from her travels. I love that it is a bit heavier and has some texture to it. Orange cotton napkins were pocket folded to hold the individual bookmarks
Tableware – Dining alfresco lends itself to using my plastic but playful dinnerware. Festive blue tumblers from Home Goods (similar to these) were paired with clear patterned plates I believe I bought at Target many years ago.
I also love using these 32 oz. glass bottles from Target for entertaining. It’s great to fill with cold filtered water to place on the table eliminating the need for disruption for refills. I also use them to fill with iced tea, lemonade, pre-made margaritas, etc. So versatile and they elevate your party game! I also found a 4-pk of them on Amazon. And finally, I used my everyday mix-n-match flatware.
Extras – Natural woven placemats from Home Goods (similar to these on Amazon) blended well with the two lanterns I scored on sale at Michael’s. Lastly, I am always a fan of votive candles and use them generously on my tables.
Fishing line was attached by glue gun to several of the crafted Book Balls and were hung from the pergola directly over the outside dining table. The remaining balls were scattered down the center of the table.
I went for simple fare for the appetizers and entree. Honestly it came down to time, of which I had little.
What’s on the Menu?
Appetizers: Charcuterie Board & Chickpea Salsa with toasted and wedged pita bread from Trader Joe’s
Dinner: Mixed green salad with tomato, cucumber, shaved carrot, avocado with marinated grilled chicken and feta crumbles. Guests had their choice of balsamic vinaigrette or Trader Joe’s Green Goddess dressing. Plus… homemade garlic bread that truly I could eat as my meal. Yum!
Dessert: This was the star of the show. Found on Pinterest, this delicious Lemon Sorbet recipe knocked me out with the most fabulous presentation by Prouditaliancook.com. The recipe was not only simple but was all about making it ahead, which when entertaining is a godsend. Individual frozen Lemons filled with yummy Sorbet? Of course they were a hit!
It was an evening of good friends and lots of laughter…always a recipe for FUN. Are you a member of a book club? What Fun things do you do to make it special?
[Want some fabulous book suggestions for your next Book Club? Click on my My Top 12 Favorite Books Here!]
For more great ideas, subscribe to funwithfunsize.com below AND follow me on Instagram and Pinterest @funwithfun_size
I bet your friends don’t miss a book club at YOUR house! Fabulous!
Good books, great friends and LOTS of wine…winning combination! LOL.